Natural Resource Management

OBJECTIVES

The Natural Resource Management Programme aims to help improve agricultural productivity in WCA through: the development of appropriate technologies and innovations in natural resource management and facilitation and meeting demand in terms of agricultural knowledge on the management of natural resources for targeted customers.

PRIORITY AREAS

The following sub-themes have been identified and ranked in order of priority:

(i) Sustainable management of soil and water and climate change – ensuring and maintaining the productivity of the natural resource base remains a challenge due to climate change; (ii) integrated crop-livestock-fish farming system: the majority of farming is done on a small scale and there are still many business opportunities to achieve. In the foreseeable future, small farmers will continue to integrate the production, which in fact has inherent advantages in terms of synergy as regards the use of resources in a context of limited inputs; (iii) Use and improvement of genetic resources. There are abundant plant and animal genetic resources in the region. Protection and efficient use of these resources will be a priority. The consideration of the opportunities in the field of biofuels will be included in this theme; (iv) financial analysis of the proposed natural resource management technologies: appropriate socio-economic studies are needed to support the efficient use of resources given the opportunity cost and alternative uses; (v) The impact of natural resource management technologies at different scales: environmental and socio-economic issues will be taken into account in terms of sustainability and impact.